Rivers and Roads
by PeachesPapaya
Summary: Almost five years have come and gone since Tori, Andre, Beck, Jade, Cat and Robbie graduated Hollywood Arts. Now, they've all taken different paths and have been separated for quite some time. But when a tragic event reunites the motley crew, secrets will be put in jeopardy and new relationships will be born.
1. Chapter One

I wrote this at stupid o'clock in the morning after watching the last episode of Victorious and getting emotional. I hope you guys like it, a lot of effort went into this chapter so reviews will be much appreciated :)

I dedicate this story to all those who tragically lost their lives on the 22nd May 2017. And to Ariana Grande, who's beautiful colours have never shone brighter this year.

 **Chapter Song: Rivers and Roads—The Head and The Heart**

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, though if I did it would still be on the Nickelodeon today.

.

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RIVERS AND ROADS

~.~

Chapter One

.

 _Los Angeles CA_

 _~Tori~_

The nostalgia was overwhelming.

Tori remembered the last time she was here, backstage at the Platinum Music Awards, she was eighteen years old and still a student at Hollywood Arts. A time where school plays and getting stranded in a giant cupcake parade float in the middle of a shady neighbourhood were the only problems in her life. It was hard to believe graduation was almost five years ago.

If her eighteen-year-old self could see her now Tori was sure she would be wracked with joy at the prospect of being an international pop-star. It had been everything she'd ever dreamed of. But the present Tori, however, was beginning to change her mind.

Life as an international pop-star was no doubt amazing but it was no picnic. Thinking about the last time she'd stood here as a nervous and excited teenager had brought back that lonely feeling that often paid her unwelcome visits whenever she went to flashy events like these.

It was a stupid feeling, because just behind the velvet curtain in front of her were thousands of her fans, thousands of people she did not know when they most likely knew almost everything about her. Still, she missed seeing her family every day and being able to walk outside without having cameras shoved in her face. She missed her best friends and often considered calling one of them to see what they were up to these days but always decided not to be a bother. They weren't kids anymore and would most probably be busy with their own lives.

Tori took another sip of her water and stretched out her neck as she stood in the backstage gloominess, a monotonous voice spoke through her earpiece to let her know she had fifteen minutes before she was expected to step onstage. Sighing, She placed her water bottle down and took a seat on the chair before her bulbed mirror. Tonight marked the five-year anniversary of the last night she'd been a regular teenage girl, and the last night all of her friends had been together.

Tori stared at her glammed up reflection, drifting into a daydream with the booming vibrations of the music onstage.

* * *

 **May 19th, 2012.**

As the audience burst into applause Tori squealed in elation as her friends hurried over to the edge of the stage, she bent down to be smothered with congratulatory hugs, she even got one from Jade, the so-called 'frenemy' who had originally supposed to be performing, she'd given it up for her though. Tori wasn't so sure what had compelled Jade to do something so nice and so...un Jade-like.

But whatever she'd seemed to have done to soften Jade up was obviously only temporary because she smirked at her once they broke apart and shouted over the racket of the audience, "meh, you were satisfactory...for an understudy."

Tori couldn't help but smile back.

Afterwards, she broke away from her friends, letting go of Cat's hand with a smile and left the stage as the lights dimmed into darkness. Her heart was beating fast in her chest and the grin on her face was beginning to make her jaw ache. She headed back to the dressing room that had originally been Jade's and made a bee-line to the couch where she subsequently collapsed, staring up at the ceiling.

She never wanted this feeling to go away.

A muffled pinging sound caught Tori's attention and she sat up to see that her bag had been moved into the dressing room during her performance and had been placed on far corner of the long couch. She inched towards it and retrieved her noisy Pearphone.

Notifications from Splashface and The Slap were popping up speedily on the screen. Tori furrowed her brow and tapped on The Slap icon. For a brief moment, she saw tweets after tweets from strangers plastered on her page all with her username on them followed by the hashtag #PMAs. She also noticed that her follower bar was climbing up at lightening speed.

And then her phone crashed.

Tori groaned and bashed the home button in an attempt to revive it but with no such luck. Abandoning her phone, she walked over to the refreshment table and looked inquisitively at the array of food. Rashly, she picked up the first thing she saw without reading the little white label in front of it. She placed the little cube of what she assumed was ordinary cheese in her mouth.

Her eyes bulged at the foul taste and it was only then that she decided to read the label.

* * *

 _At the request of Miss Ginger Fox,_

 _We present,_

 _'Casu Marzu.'_

 _A delicacy cheese made with sheep's milk and stuffed with fly lava._

* * *

 _Maggot cheese. This was maggot cheese._

Tori's stomach lurched and she bolted to the en-suite door, wrenching it open and making it to the toilet just in the nick of time. She spat out the putrid cheese along with her dinner.

"Why...does that even exist?!" Tori gasped.

Flushing the toilet, she stumbled over to the sink, squirted some toothpaste into her mouth and swished it around. Upon finishing scouring her tongue with her fingers, she pulled out some paper towels from a nearby dispenser to wipe her mouth with. But when she went to the plastic trash can in the corner, she noticed something inside.

Tori did a double-take.

There was a pregnancy test staring up at her and on close inspection, she saw that it was positive.

Her mind was blank for a brief moment, and then it clicked when she remembered that Jade had been using this dressing room just a few hours ago.

There was a knock on the dressing room door and then a voice called out to her.

"Miss Vega, your friends have requested for you to join them in the audience."

Tori whirled around and walked out of the bathroom, "yeah, thanks, Simon I'm coming now."

Simon smiled and nodded and was just about to leave when Tori spoke up again.

"Can I ask you a quick question before you go?" She asked, her voice going high in a sarcastic tone.

"Of course, Miss Vega," Simon replied, adjusting his earpiece and leaning against the doorframe with his clipboard to his chest.

"Why are there disgusting maggoty cheese cubes in this dressing room?"

"We allow each performer to request any refreshment of their choice, the cheese was Miss Ginger Fox's request so we had it imported from Sardinia especially. It's actually illegal in this country but we made...arrangements." He explained.

"That woman is out of her mind," Tori frowned, turning up her nose and shivering in disgust.

"Unfortunately I cannot comment on Miss Fox's sanity but yes I agree, it's not a food I would personally enjoy," Said Simon. "Your performance was spectacular by the way."

Simon left and Tori gathered her bag jacket and left her dressing room. Her mind going back to that test. Her eyes had to have been playing tricks on her, Beck and Jade had broken up months ago so wouldn't it be obvious by now that she was pregnant?

Wait no, she was being an idiot. You don't need to be a couple to do the deed.

Suddenly Tori felt all the more guilty for that almost-kiss she'd shared with Beck that night, an occurrence she'd been trying to push to the back of her mind until now. It hadn't happened of course because she'd told him that she couldn't do something like that to a friend. Jade belonged with Beck, Tori had no doubt, and if she was right about that test being Jade's then that just confirmed the notion.

Adele was in the middle of belting out her song 'Set fire to the rain' when Tori made her way down the seating aisles and toward the front where her friends were seated. Andre was the first to notice her and motioned to the empty seat next to him, he smiled at her and her a back. Tori stole a glance at Jade who was sitting next to Beck watching the performance with both arms crossed over her stomach.

When the show finished, the gang piled into a black limo to attend the after party which was held at the hotel Dubois, the most pricey and prestigious hotel in Beverly Hills. The gang chatted and laughed amongst themselves and sipped from flutes of champagne while Andre went to look for Cat who'd disappeared not long after Tori's opening performance along with her Bibble-restrainer. When he returned, Oliver and Cat were following behind looking down at the sidewalk with guilt.

"I found them behind a dumpster, gorging themselves on bibble," Andre said.

"We're sorry!" Cried cat, stomping her foot childishly.

"Just get in the limo," Andre sighed.

She did as she was told and took the empty space beside Robbie which meant Oliver had to sit next to Tori.

"I can smell your shampoo, what it is it? Cherry? Raspberry?" Oliver whispered, leaning close.

"Uh, it's cherry."

Oliver clapped his hands hard, "ha! I knew it!" he exclaimed. Tori smiled awkwardly before turning her attention to her friends enjoying themselves, everyone except for Jade who sat right at the back, staring absently out of the tinted window. She'd refused the offer of champagne with a quiet shake of her head. Tori had half the mind to talk to her but didn't want to draw attention to the others.

The party was amazing and held in the vast hotel venue hall. Tori was immediately greeted and overwhelmed by the number of talented artists congratulating her on her performance. Even Taylor Swift in her gorgeous black and white Chanel dress had stopped to compliment Tori and say how much she loved her song.

Her friends hadn't seemed too disappointed either. Andre had almost knocked Justin Bieber flying in his rush to tell her about the giant champagne fountain in the gardens outside. Cat and Robbie were dancing adorably together to a Coldplay song that played throughout the hall. But she couldn't see Beck and Jade anywhere, she hoped they'd gone somewhere together to talk things out.

"...You will not believe it Tori, I'm tellin' you now, you will not believe it!" Andre was saying in awe as he took Tori's hand and led her outside.

A refreshing breeze hit her face and the loud music from inside turned to low booming vibrations as the door shut behind them. The gardens were huge and gorgeous, stone steps lead down to a neatly cut lawn decorated with variously shaped topiaries and sure enough, a large fountain stood in the middle spurting out champagne. Tori had to take a moment to relish in the beauty before she and Andre descended the steps and started towards it.

Andre took two flutes from the fountain's edge and filled both with the bubbly, "here you go milady," he said as he handed one to Tori.

"Thank you," she smiled and they clunked their flukes together, "such a gentleman."

"Always," He chuckled, tugging on his tie with pride.

Tori laughed.

"Listen, you really were amazing tonight Tor," Andre told her seriously.

"Thanks Andre, that means a lot."

Tori wasn't sure but she thought she caught him blushing.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something—"

But at that moment, Jade had appeared from behind one of the impressive topiaries and was traipsing their way, her damp face glistening in the moonlight as she wiped at the smudged mascara with her hand. Beck was hurrying after her and shouting her name.

"Jade why are you being like this? Please just slow down!" He begged.

Jade stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face him, "I saw you!"

A look of confusion flashed across Beck's features and Tori saw him open his mouth to ask what she meant when Jade stopped him, "I saw you with..." She glanced Tori's way causing her heart to skip a beat, "I saw you with Tori."

Almost everyone in the gardens was staring now as Beck, Tori and Andre stood speechless.

"How did you—?" Beck began, his face falling.

"You didn't end your video call with Cat...I saw and heard everything."

He glanced at a stunned Tori, "Jade we—"

"We? You mean _you_ , Beck. How dare you ask to get back together with the knowledge that you tried to kiss another girl the exact same night!" Jade hissed, "you're selfish, all you ever seem to think about is yourself!"

That seemed to strike one of Beck's nerves because Tori saw something flash across his features and he lashed out, "oh, I'm the selfish one am I? You have the rudest, self-centred and jealous attitude I have ever seen and," he poked himself hard in the chest "...I'm the selfish one?"

What happened next was very unexpected. Instead of saying something back Jade closed her eyes, forcing a tear to go shooting down her cheek. And then, she turned to Tori and said, "I'm sorry..."

Tori tried to gather her words, but they got stuck in her throat.

"...I'm sorry for every mean thing I've ever said or done to you," Jade's voice was wavering as she spoke and it made Tori want to hug her, but her shocked state kept her glued to the spot.

"Just...sorry Vega."

Then she turned back to Beck,

"How was that for wicked witch West?"

 ** _End of flashback_**

Jade hadn't even turned up to graduation, she just took off somewhere without telling a soul where she was going. Not even Cat who everyone knew Jade was extremely close to.

However, nobody was affected more than Beck who's personality seemed to die a little causing him to drift away from everyone. The last Tori heard of Beck was when he called everyone to say his audition for a TV series which later turned out to become very popular had been successful and he'd been cast for a major role. Cat had been accepted into Julliard which was a prestigious performing arts college in New York, Robbie had followed her so as not to be separated from her.

And as for Tori herself, following PMAs she began to be bombarded with record deal after record deal and then even concert tours. These were opportunities she simply couldn't turn down.

That just left Andre. He never did end up telling her what he'd started to say at the PMA after party. Instead, he'd just wished her luck and assured her that it had been nothing important.

"Knock em' dead pop-star!" He'd said to her, smiling as she left to board a plane that would later take her on her first tour.

Tori would never forget the look on his face though when she'd turned around to catch one last glance at her last remaining friend. It wasn't the big smile he'd sent her off with, but a gloomy, lost expression that Tori would never get out of her mind.

Each day she hoped against hope that every one of her friends was doing well for themselves and that they were happy because she had so much love for them all.

"Tori, you're up." Said the voice through her earpiece, bringing her out of her reverie.

* * *

Manhattan NYC

~Cat~

Cat plunged the key into the door, wrenched it open and slammed it shut. A picture of herself and Robbie went sliding off a nearby wall and shattered to pieces on the floor. She made a high throaty sound and stumbled over to the table, placing both hands on top to maintain balance.

Tears pelted the glossy wood as her chest contacted with a harsh yet silent string of sobs. Cat inhaled sharply and threw herself down onto a chair. Screaming in despair she clamped her hands down on fistfuls of her mousy brown hair.

He was gone.

Dizzying thoughts spun like an angry tornado inside of her mind. If she'd have flown back to Cali the moment she'd heard he was back in the hospital could she have prevented it? Maybe talked him out of it? She and Chris had always been close, what if her moving away had been too much for him?

Well, whatever it was it hardly mattered now. He was gone forever and there was nothing she could do about it.

Her mom had called her in the middle of rehearsal and Cat was just asking for her to call back in an hour when she'd heard her mom's stifled sob.

"What's wrong mommy? Are you okay?" Cat asked in alarm after stepping out of rehearsal.

"Oh my sweet baby, it's Christopher..." Mrs Valentine explained, "he...he...oh God!"

She didn't need to go on anymore for Cat to understand. she couldn't hear the music from inside the studio any longer, only her mom's heart-wrenching cries. Stunned to the bone, Cat raised a shaking hand to her mouth and shook her head, "no," She whispered weakly.

Mrs Valentine took in a breath, "there wasn't anything they could do to save him baby girl, he...the cuts, they were too deep. He severed a major artery."

She couldn't remember how she'd gotten there but Cat was on the floor now, eyes clenched shut in crippling bereavement. Slowly, she opened her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. A hot wave of anger suddenly washed over her and she tightened the grip on her phone, "I thought he was supposed to be in a secure unit! How did he even manage to access a weapon?! Are they stupid? It's their job to look after people like Chris!"

"I know Cat, I know. B-but he'd been stable and showing signs of progress so they gave him a job working in the kitchen, a way to keep his mind active I suppose. They took their eyes off of him for a second..."

Cat was yelling now, though she wasn't aware of it, "they shouldn't have taken their eyes off of him at all! They're stupid! Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!"

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. I-I really am."

"I don't understand. I-I talked to him on the phone the other day, he was happy. At least I thought he was," Cat said, clutching at her shirt tightly.

"I don't understand either, nor do I think I'll ever understand. I'm sorry baby but I'm going to have to go now, the police are here and they're asking for a statement. I'll call you again as soon as I get the chance, I love you to the moon and back. Never forget," Mrs Valentine said with one last sob.

Cat threw her phone at the opposite wall with a fatal force.

She didn't remember telling her friend Jessica about what had happened but the next thing she knew, she was getting shot and tears all over her jacket and then she was sitting in the passenger seat of her car being driven home.

Now, as she entered the bedroom. She grabbed a bin containing her old school work and placed it before the wardrobe. It gave her a boost up so she could retrieve from on top a fluffy pink photo album that her mom had kept over the years.

Cat got comfortable on the bed, flicked to the first page and stared at the first photo which was of herself as a tiny baby and Chris at around age five. She was bundled up in a white hospital blanket and Chris was holding her in his arms, supported by a pillow. Her little pink hand was wrapped around his index finger. Tears fell onto the protective cellophane which covered it.

"It's official, we wrapped on season one!" Came a familiar enthusiastic voice.

Cat heard the jingle of his keys as he dropped them on the side and the thump of his shoes as he kicked them off his feet. She stayed where she was, not wanting to take her eyes off the picture in front of her.

"Kitty, where are you?" Robbie called out.

And then he was walking toward their bedroom. Even when he opened the door, Cat didn't acknowledge him.

"Kitty?" He said, his voice a lot softer now. Robbie moved to sit next to her on the bed and took her hand in his, she still didn't look at him though.

"It's my brother," she managed, "he's dead."

* * *

Belfast Ireland

~Beck~

"And...ACTION!"

"Look at me Anya, what do you see?" Beck said, placing his hands on his co-star's arms and staring into her eyes.

"I see an idiot," said Holly, coldly.

"Of course you do. An idiot bastard born to a milkmaid and nothing more," Beck responded through a British accent, "but when I look at you I see Princess Anya, daughter of a King. You are of Noble blood, it's past time you acted like it."

"I never asked to be a princess and I don't want to be one! My father has said it many times himself, I am not fit to be his daughter. And he's always loved my sister more because she didn't kill our mother. If anything, he'd likely be glad to be rid of me!" She took hold of Beck's face, "so run away with me Dominic and stop being so downright stubborn!"

Beck moved away and ran a hand through his greased up hair, "and what if someone were to recognise you? We will have targets on our backs for the rest of our lives."

"I don't care! I'll kill anyone who dares get in our way!" Holly seethed.

Beck chuckled, "I do not doubt your skill with a sword but could you face an army? I think not."

"Bleeding hearts Dominic!" She grabbed the front of his filthy tunic and pulled him closer, "you are coming with me even if I have to knock you out and carry you!" She howled, shoving him backwards.

"Oh you will, will you?" He smirked, eying her skinny frame.

"Shut up! Just, please...Dominic, I beg of you," She pleaded, adding desperation to her tone.

Beck looked taken aback and his smirk disappeared, "you know that I can not, princess."

And then he began to shout for the guards, grabbing their attention.

"What are you doing! Stop it Dom, stop it now!" Holly cried.

"It's for your own good, Anya. I hope you can forgive me," Beck said.

The actors dressed in heavy guard armour marched over at once and Holly's character's features twisted in anger and tears filled her eyes as she shrieked at Beck's character.

"How dare you upset the princess, peasant!" Roared one of the guards, he reached for his sword but Holly raised a hand to stop him.

"No, that's quite all right," she said, breathless from all the yelling, "leave him be and just escort me back to the castle if you'd be so kind."

"Anya wait—" Beck frowned solemnly.

"No, you got your wish."

Holly turned and a camera-man moved in close to Beck to get a good shot of his heartbroken expression.

"And...CUT!" Yelled the director from his megaphone, "fantastic, fantastic! You all did great. That's a wrap for today."

Beck was relieved to hear those words after shooting for eight hours straight. He could almost hear his bed calling for him all the way from his trailer. Just as he was about to head there though, Holly stopped him.

"Beck, do you wanna come back and hang with the rest of us in my trailer? Dustin brought Dunkin' Donuts?"

Dustin played Alexander who was Princess Anya's brother in the show.

"No thanks, Today has totally wiped me out. I need to wash all this fake dirt off and then I think I'm gonna crash for a while."

"Well okay, I'll try and save you a donut then?"

Beck chuckled, "you can try, you know how much Dustin loves the things."

"You got that right." Holly smiled.

Upon reaching his trailer Beck climbed in and locked the door behind him. He tore off his costume and scoured the faux dirt from his skin and the grease from his hair using his favourite sandalwood shampoo. Then he hopped out and dried himself off before putting on some fresh underwear and tying up his damp hair. He would have to get it cut after shooting ends, he wouldn't get much taken off though. He'd thought seriously about cutting all of it off before, but his mind would always wander back to the days when his ex-girlfriend used to threaten to never speak to him again if he cut his hair.

His mind always wandered to her no matter what he did though. Simple things such as using a pair of scissors or drinking a cup of coffee often proved to be a task and a half for Beck.

Jade had now invaded his mind, and an invisible force was pushing his hand toward the bedside drawer which he pulled open and rummaged through all of the car magazines and other junk until he found the little black box. He took it out and opened it up. Inside was the little gold 'J' necklace he'd always wear since freshman year of high school. Beck wondered if she'd kept hers too. Not likely though, considering how she'd taken off so rashly and suddenly Beck wouldn't be so surprised if she'd thrown it off a cliff or tossed it into the ocean.

He missed her each day and wished that he could somehow turn back the clock. He'd tried so hard to move on from Jade and at one point had even tried to get back in the saddle and meet someone again, but every girl he'd tried to date he found bored him to a stupor. And he was just begging to think he'd never meet anyone he liked when he realized that he'd been looking for Jade all this time.

It was Jade he wanted, and it always would be.

He took the necklace from out of the box and placed it gently around his neck, turning over on his side he held the small J between his fingers and let sleep drag him away hoping she would at least come back to him in his dreams.

* * *

 **Leave a review if you fancy chapter two!**

 **—PeachesPapaya**


	2. Chapter Two

I know it's been six months since I updated this story! And I am so sorry, from the bottom of my heart. I've just been up to my neck in school work ya know. But I'm back if you guys are still interested and don't hate me too much. I'll try my hardest to update as regularly as I can.

Anyway, I'm starting this chapter off with Jade's point of view. I know you've all been wondering what my plans are for her.

Also, I've created a google drive album filled with pictures to give you a general idea of what the cast looks like in this story, including the OC characters. To view the album, go to my profile and you'll find the link there.

That's all peeps, enjoy the story.

 ** _Chapter song: Sweet Pea—Amos Lee_**

* * *

 ** _Miami FL_**

 ** _~Jade~_**

...

"Hi, my name is Jade West. I have an appointment with Mr Kovalski at eleven-thirty."

Interrupted from her texting, the secretary, who looked no older than sixteen, scowled up at Jade, "sure, whatever. Have a seat."

Jade raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone as notorious as Abraham Kowalski would hire someone as young and unprofessional as this girl to be his secretary. She didn't bother to question the girl however and took a seat adjacent to the producer's office.

Filled with anticipation, Jade tapped her fingertips against her cup of coffee as she stared at the office door, script in her lap. She tried to focus on trying to keep her mind blank so that she wouldn't start overthinking things, but she was finding that extremely difficult considering she'd gotten zero sleep last night and was currently acquiring all of her energy from nothing but black coffee since the day she received the phone call from the major producer requesting to interview her after seeing her play 'All In Favour.'

There was a 'pop' and to accompany the already irritating sound of the baby-faced secretary's texting, she began obnoxiously feasting on a sandwich like she hadn't eaten for weeks and stinking out the place with the stench of tuna fish. Jade's eyes moved resentfully to the oblivious woman just as she dropped a clump of the filling on her blouse, before scooping it up with her fingers and eating it.

Jade fought back the urge to say something, remembering exactly where she was and who would be interviewing her in just—she glanced at her watch—two minutes.

Her hand was now beginning to shake so much that she could hear the coffee in her cup sloshing around when she brought it to her lips. This was a very big deal and the outcome could change her life for the better, she couldn't let her nerves fuck with her.

Moments later, the door swung open to reveal a tall blond man wearing round frameless glasses and a blazer. He turned up his nose at the smell of his secretary's tuna sandwich and said, "Klara! I have told you many times not to eat your lunch in my office, it's unprofessional and you are making the place smell like a brothel!"

"Sorry Uncle Abe—I mean, Mr Kowalski. I forgot," said Klara at once, enclosing her sandwich inside a Tupperware container.

"Yes well, I might just _forget_ about your paycheque if you continue like this," he walked toward her, sighed and placed twenty dollars on the desk, "here, go buy yourself some real lunch in town."

Klara's beamed and thanked him before disappearing into the elevator.

Mr Kowalski turned to Jade with a warm smile, "Miss West, it is lovely to see you, please come in."

Jade gave a small nod and followed him, swallowing thickly.

"I apologise if my niece seemed a little bit impolite, she's on work experience, another week and she'll be off my hands. Anyone who decides to employ her has to be insane, I'd sooner have a chimp working for me than a teenager," he explained, throwing himself onto his chair.

Jade chuckled, and placed herself on the seat before him, crossing her right leg over her left.

"Anyway, let's get down to business," said the producer, folding his arms on top of his desk and leaning forwards, "now before we discuss the subject of the play. I like to know the person I'm working with, so...tell me about yourself."

"Okay, well I'm twenty-three, I've been living here in Miami for five years and just graduated from University with a master's in screenwriting but before that, I lived in Los Angeles where I attended Hollywood Arts."

"Hollywood Arts eh? I've heard great things about that school."

Jade pursed her lips, "yeah...I uh, had a great time there, met some great people."

"And I assume you keep in touch with those people?" He asked.

"Yeah we're all really close," She lied, "so about my play...?"

Mr K chuckled heartily, "of course, your play. I must admit, it simply blew me away Miss West. I happened to come across the reviews online and decided to see for myself what all the hype was about, I was certainly not disappointed," he gestured to the script on her lap, "and I see you've brought the script with you which is quite convenient because I would like to make you an offer that you would have to be crazy to refuse..."

.

.

Jade drove as fast as she possibly could without breaking any laws, her head swam with euphoria as she pulled into the driveway of her dad's house and scrambled out of her car, almost tripping over the doorstep in her haste to tell her dad the news.

She rang the doorbell at least ten times before he finally answered the door.

"Well?" He prompted, raising an eyebrow in a very West-like manner.

"Can't you tell by the way I just mashed your doorbell?" Jade told him, and the happiness radiating from her told him all he needed to know.

A look of astonishment took over Mr West's face followed by a grin and he pulled his daughter into a tight hug, "honey I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, dad."

Martin pushed her away gently and looked at her seriously, "I've worried about you for so long but now it seems to me that it was all for nothing. After everything you've been through you've managed to take the bull by the horns and it's so hard to express how proud I am of you right now, baby girl."

Jade smiled at him with glossy eyes and was just about to respond when,

"Mommy, you're home!"

A little boy with long chestnut brown locks made a bee-line toward Jade, wrapping his arms tightly around her legs. Jade's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she looked down at him, "Jasper?" she looked back up at her dad, "what is he doing here? And why isn't he in school?"

"That's what we need to discuss. Come in and sit down, you've had a stressful morning, I'm sure." Martin said, wandering into the living room. Jade took her son's hand and followed her dad into the living room where they sat down on black leather couches, the same ones Jade owned in her own place.

"He's not sick is he?" Jade asked, pressing the back of her hand against Jasper's forehead.

"No, there was an incident with some glue, the school couldn't reach you so they called me to go pick him up."

Jade felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She'd turned off her phone so that the interview wouldn't be disrupted, "Glue?"

"I poured some in Mason's hair," Jasper said, from beside Jade.

Jade closed her eyes and sighed, "Okay, and just why did you pour glue in this Mason's hair?"

"Cos he was makin' fun of mine and bein' a meanie! He said I looked like a girl!" Jasper pouted, crossing his arms over his chest and slouching.

"Well, you were defending yourself then. I don't see why they had to—"

" _Jade,_ " Martin warned.

"What? Maybe if this Mason kid was taught not to act like a little grunch—"

"He's a _child,_ Jade."

"So is Jasper."

"You really shouldn't praise bad behaviour."

"Are you calling me a bad mother?" Jade barked, accusingly.

"No, not at all," Martin condemned. "I just think he needs to apologize to Mason for his actions."

"But Grandpa...!" Jasper argued.

"The kid brought it on himself. And if anything, I think Jasper taught him a very important life lesson. You play with fire, you get burned," Jade stood up and prompted her son to do the same, "now come on Jasper, we're getting ice cream. Mommy just sold her script."

* * *

 ** _Manhattan, NY_**

 ** _~Robbie~_**

He'd never seen her like this before.

Robbie was seeing the complete opposite of Cat Valentine, and it was unsettling.

Since the day she found out about Chris's suicide, she'd been staying in bed all day, not talking. She was so crushed that the producers of the Broadway show she'd been starring in had no choice but to replace Cat's character with her understudy. Robbie thought anything would be better than the barely there state his girlfriend was currently in, he just wished she would show some kind of emotion. Anger or sadness...anything but this!

"Cat, I made you some of Grandma Shapiro's chicken noodle soup," Robbie announced as he entered the dark, vampire-den like bedroom carrying a tray of steaming soup, "Cat...?"

"Not hungry, "she mumbled, voice muffled against the pillows.

"Kitty, come on now. You need to eat. You haven't had anything all day and it's past noon."

"I don't care," she said, barely even audible.

"Well _I_ do, and I'm sorry but I can't watch you fester in your bedroom anymore," he placed the tray of food on top of their drawers and stalked across the room to pull the curtains apart. Daylight exploded inside the bedroom and Cat hissed, throwing her pillow over her head to block out the blinding light.

He ignored her, "I was thinking we could head to that new indoor laser tag place that just opened, or maybe go out to dinner, or—"

"My brother is dead, Robbie," she whimpered, sniffling.

His face fell, "I know. And I wish there was something I could do take all of your pain away, trust me."

"Well, there is one thing you could do for me."

"There is?" Robbie asked, hopefully.

Cat sat upright, tears spilling down her face as she reached out for him. Robbie smiled and climbed onto the bed before gathering her up in his arms and planting kisses on the side of her head. They laid down together, and Cat sobbed into the crook of his neck. She cried until her energy slowly disappeared until she could only whimper, and then after a few moments her breathing evened out and she went back to silence again.

Robbie's eyes fell onto the picture beside the abandoned soup. It was of himself, Cat and the rest of their friendship group back during their H.A days. He and Cat often wondered what they were all up to these past five years. It was sad that they'd all drifted apart, but he supposed it they all had their own dreams to pursue, their own lives to get on with. He knew Tori was doing very well for herself in her singing career, in fact, everybody knew her name now. Beck was on that popular medieval fantasy TV show 'Dark Swords'. As for Jade and Andre, they hadn't the slightest clue what they were up to nowadays but he hoped they were both okay and doing well. Cat would often say how much she missed them, especially Jade whom she'd been the closest to.

And that's what gave Robbie the idea. He knew he couldn't take away her grief, but maybe if he tried to find out where Jade was and inform her about Cat's loss, she might just be able to give her that extra boost and help her to get through it. It was a shot in the dark, for Jade's absence in their lives had been the longest and it might be difficult to find out where she went after she didn't turn up to graduation.

But he was so desperate to make Cat feel a bit better, he was willing to anything.

* * *

 ** _Los Angeles CA_**

 ** _~Andre~_**

It was two in the morning, Charlie was crying again and Vanessa had been gone for almost a week now.

For the fifth time that night, Andre pulled the sheets off his body, rubbed his exhausted eyes, stumbled out of his bedroom and into his daughter's. She was clinging to the top of the crib, face flushed red with tears, bouncing up and down in frustration.

"Dadadada." She hiccoughed.

"You just ain't gonna let me take five minutes off are you, baby girl?" Andre sighed, reaching down and picking the fussy one-year-old up. He sat down with her in the rocking chair and reached for the pacifier that was clipped to her onesie. She spat it out right away and continued to cry.

He knew exactly why she was acting up. It was her mom that she wanted, not him. But his poor little girl couldn't possibly understand that she'd turned her back on them, there one day and then gone the next. This past week had been the hardest week of his life, and it was getting worse. He could tell that Charlie was becoming more and more confused as each day went by and it was hurting Andre's heart.

He knew Vanessa was having difficulties coping as a mother, but never did he think she could do something like this. Sure, the pregnancy hadn't been planned and they hadn't even been together when she found out she was having Charlie but he didn't think that she regretted giving her life. Andre had sincerely believed that Vanessa loved their daughter and would never do anything to hurt her.

And just when he thought they were finally figuring the whole co-parenting thing out, he was proved wrong.

Charlie arched her back, screaming and screaming. Andre pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, soon giving up on the rocking chair when an idea sprung to his mind. He placed the screaming baby back down in the crib.

Kissing her fluffy hair, Andre placed the screaming baby back down in the crib.

"Chill your beans, I'll be right back," he told her, rushing out of her bedroom and then back into his own to grab his guitar from its stand.

When he re-entered his daughter's pink butterfly themed room, her wails ceased to stare at Andre's guitar, her lower lip poking out. Andre sat back on the rocking chair and scratched the inside of his ear in an attempt to stop the ringing.

Charlie was just beginning to start round two when Andre cut her off mid-cry, strumming his guitar and creating a slow but upbeat tune.

 _"Sweet pea, apple of my eye. Don't know when and I don't know why. You're the only reason I keep on coming home..."_

Charlie was watching him curiously now, her big brown eyes flickering from his fingers which moved fluidly across the string board and then back to his face which was full of concentration.

 _"Sweet pea, what's all this about? Don't get your way all you do is fuss and pout..."_

Andre made a pouty face at Charlie prompting a heart-warming smile to light up her tear-stained face.

" _But you're the only reason I keep on coming home..._ "

After a few more verses, Andre finally managed to get Charlie to lie down and sleep. Relief washed over him as he slowly and cautiously stood up from the chair, switched off the light and tiptoed back to his own bed.

The silence embraced him like a warm hug and Andre fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

...

What seemed like just minutes later, even though it was now seven-thirty-six, Andre woke with a jolt.

Someone was banging on the door.

As fast as he could, Andre scrambled out of bed and rushed toward the door, willing Charlie to stay asleep. He didn't see the toy duck lying in the middle of the floor and was sent flying with a squeak and boom as he landed ungracefully on his backside.

Hissing in pain Andre found his feet and yanked on the door, livid.

"What the chiz do you think you're doing! Rapping on my door at this time—Oh! Mr Jones."

Andre's heart sank, he could've predicted the man's next words.

"Mr Harris I have given you many warnings yet still I continue to receive noise complaints from this floor," said Mr Jones, monotonously.

"I understand sir..."

"Normally, I do not permit tenants under twelve to take up residence in my apartment block but I made an exception for you and your wife. You seem like a reasonable couple. However, I also need to consider the wellbeing of my other tenants."

Andre ignored Mr Jones' use of the word 'wife', too worried about the matter at hand to correct the man.

He rubbed his face stressfully, "how long are you going to give us to pack our stuff?"

"Until three o'clock this afternoon."

"Okay, well. I'd better make a start then."

Mr Jones gave a nod, "I wish you and your wife the best, Mr Harris."

Andre couldn't close the door fast enough, muttering a string of profanities under his breath as he leant back on the door and slid down it slowly. He groaned and placed his head in his hands.

"What have you done to us, Vanessa...?"


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Song: Sweet Child O' Mine—Sheryl Crow.

.

RIVERS AND ROADS

~.~

Chapter Three

.

Los Angeles, CA

 _~Tori~_

 _ **...**_

It was early morning, and the wheels on her suitcase roared along the path to her parents' house. Tori pressed the doorbell and a moment later she was seeing her mom's grinning face. pulling her daughter into her arms as she let out something that sounded like a mix between a shriek and a giggle, "you were amazing, baby!"

"Not so loud mom," Tori winced, hugging her back before breaking away to flop limply on the couch. "My head is still booming from the after-party."

"I'll get you some Asprin," Mrs. Vega said, filling a glass with water at the open kitchen unit. "So how _was_ the after-party?"

"Amazing as always." Tori sighed, placing her head down on one of the pillows.

Mrs. Vega frowned, catching on to her daughter's tone. "Really? You don't sound to me like you enjoyed it."

Tori sat up and Mrs. Vega handed her the pills and the water which she immediately swallowed. "I did, it just...brought back a lot of memories."

"Is that my little girl I hear?!" A booming voice exclaimed, making the muscles in Tori's head clench painfully.

"David! Shhh!" Mrs. Vega scolded, gesturing to Tori who was rubbing her temples desperately.

"Ah," David whispered, sitting on Tori's other side and nudging her arm. "Did you party too hard?"

Tori hadn't partied at all actually and only stayed at the after-party for a short time, during which The 1975 were playing inside the venue so she'd had the gardens and the infamous champagne fountain all to herself, and she had sat on the edge helping herself to refills while dwelling on the last time she had been at the PMAs, when everything had been much simpler and she hadn't felt utterly alone. Her headache was probably stress induced.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Tori smiled, rising from her seat and turning to face both of her parents. "I think I'm just gonna go up to my room and take a nap."

"Oh okay, of course. Feel better, honey." Mr. Vega said in sympathy.

"We're proud of you!" Mrs. Vega chimed in.

Tori smiled softly but as she turned around it faded as quickly as it appeared. She climbed the staircase and made a beeline for her bedroom where she threw herself down on her bed with a deep breath of relief. As much as she loved her ultra king sized bed back at her own place, it just couldn't outshine this one even if its springs did squeak every time she turned over.

Of late, Tori had been spending a lot of time at her parent's house, usually only going back to her own and night and then returning first thing in the morning.

During a time when Tori had been at the pinnacle of her career and her house was her pride and joy, she would hold parties almost every Saturday night, taking full advantage of her pop-star life. But many parties later after everyone had gone home and Tori was left to deal with the mess left behind, she'd felt an overwhelming sense of loss.

And it still hadn't left her.

If Tori had known five-years-ago just how much the music industry would impact her life, she wondered if things might've been different. She mourned her old life and wished she could lessen all the pressure building up on her shoulders over the years. She wished she could leave her house without being asked for an autograph, she wished she didn't have to question everything she did for fear that it might end up all over the internet. Most of all though, she wished she could see her friends again.

The last time Tori heard from one of the original H.A crew was around two years ago, it had been Andre announcing the birth of his daughter. Tori remembered going to his place with a bunch of flowers and holding the tiny baby girl in her arms.

Andre's girlfriend Vanessa had made her disdain toward Tori pretty obvious and after that visit, she didn't hear from Andre ever again. He had even gone so far as to block her number. And though Tori still didn't know the reason, she guessed that Vanessa was involved.

...

Tori woke up at two, sprawled out on her bed and covered in sweat from the sun which was baking through her window, at least the headache had gone though. Blinking rapidly, she peeled herself from the bed and turned to face the mirror. She was hungry and as she stared at her reflection in deep thought, Nozu crossed her mind and a low growl from her belly acted as the answer.

Tori took a quick shower to wash away the sweat caused by the current Cali weather, slathering herself in her mom's favorite lavender scented body wash. After drying herself, she took off her shower cap and later replaced it with an old beanie from her dresser, then dressed in a simple tank top and shorts grabbed from her wardrobe.

"But you're staying for dinner right? Your sister's coming too, we're having steak." Mrs. Vega said when Tori turned down her offer of Tacos. She told her she was going out for lunch instead.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you guys later."

Tori was just about to leave when a familiar name on the news made her turn on her heel and walk back toward where her parents were seated.

"A mental health hospital in southern California is facing an inquiry after one of its patients, Twenty-eight-year-old Christopher Valentine took his own life while working in the kitchens..."

"Christopher Valentine? I think I recognize that name—" Muttered Mr. Vega.

"Yeah, he's Cat's brother..." Confirmed Tori, quietly.

"My God, Of course. She was your friend from school wasn't she?!" Mrs. Vega gaped. "That poor girl."

"She must be devastated," Tori sympathized. Her heart broke for the bubbly little red-headed friend she once knew, how could something so horrible happen to such a kind-hearted person."Anyway, I uh...better get some food in me before I pass out."

The severity of the weather hit Tori in the face right away, and when she got in her car it felt like she'd just entered an oven. The wheel was so blisteringly hot that Tori had no choice but to put on the driving gloves her uncle had given her for her 18th birthday. He'd been right after all, they really did come in handy.

It was a short drive, but her very own oven with wheels made it seem longer so Tori was glad to step into the air-conditioned restaurant. She made her way to the bar and Mrs. Lee smirked knowingly at her, " _you_."

"Me," Tori nodded and smiled as she sat down on one of the stools. "Can I get a spicy tuna roll and a Wahoo Punch, please?"

"Why?" She sneered, accusingly.

"Uh...because I'm hungry," Tori explained.

"You left my daughter dangling from the ceiling and traumatized her for life."

Tori rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, she should be what...? Sixteen now? I'm sure she's forgotten all about it."

"And then you refused to pay for the food you bought, and after that, your speckled friend smashed up plates..."

But Tori had stopped listening. For her heart had just fluttered at the sight of Andre who she'd spotted at one of the nearby booths, he was wearing sunglasses and a gray t-shirt, and at his side was a stroller.

Tori's eyes flickered to the irritating Mrs. Lee and she reached into her purse to grab a couple of fifty-dollar bills and slam them down on the table, "Here, that should cover the food and the stupid plates and maybe even therapy for your daughter since she's so scarred."

That seemed to shut the woman up.

Tori made a beeline toward Andre, who was resting his head against his hand, Miso Soup untouched. She was desperate to interrogate him over why he'd cut contact with her for so long, but when she saw the little girl's big brown eyes staring up at her from the stroller, her heart felt like it could melt. The baby stopped munching on the rice cake she was holding to give Tori an adorable smile, and just like that, Tori's anger toward Andre just went.

"Andre," Tori called, wondering why he hadn't yet noticed her standing there. He let out a snort as his head began to slip off his hand, and that's when she realized that he was sleeping.

"Andre!"

He jolted awake, looking around rapidly. It took him a while to take in exactly where he was and who was talking to him, but he eventually settled down and regarded Tori in astonishment, "Tori? Is that you?"

"No, I'm her twin sister," she jested, taking a seat opposite him. "Tired?"

Andre sighed and rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses.

Tori frowned, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" He deflected.

"Woah, okay. I was just asking." Tori said defensively, holding her hands up.

"Sorry, Tor. I'm okay, really," he assured her, bringing a spoonful of soup to his mouth before spitting it back into the bowl, she guessed that it had gone cold while he was sleeping.

"How long have you been asleep?" Tori asked, concerned.

"Ah just a few minutes, nothing wrong with a power nap every now and then. Especially when you have a toddler—"

Tori whipped off his sunglasses, gasping when she saw the vivid purple bags beneath his eyes. He snatched them back immediately.

"Andre, you're exhausted!" She exclaimed. "What the hell is going on?!"

The baby started to fuss, Andre reached toward the stroller and sat her on his knee, she hushed her crying at once and studied Tori with curious eyes.

Tori smiled at her affectionately before looking back up at Andre, "sorry, I didn't mean to make her cry."

He shook his head, "It's fine, it wasn't you."

"She's definitely grown up a lot since the last time I saw her," she said, watching the tot play with Andre's fingers as though they were the most interesting things she'd ever seen. "What did you name her?"

"Charlotte, but I call her Charlie for short."

"Charlotte, like your—"

"After my Grandma, yeah. She passed away a couple days after she was born."

Tori's face fell, "I'm so sorry, Andre."

"She was suffering. Her Alzheimer's got to the point where she couldn't even eat for herself, but she's finally at peace now."

Halfway through their conversation, Mrs. Lee came over and served her the Spicy Tuna Roll and the punch she ordered. Tori was almost certain she heard her mutter 'enjoy your food' under her breath as she walking away.

Tori tipped some soy sauce over her meal before picking up her chopsticks and tucking into the sushi.

"I watched you last night on the PMAs. You were amazing, as always." Andre told her, over his daughter's content babbling.

"Thanks," Tori said, after swallowing a mouthful.

Andre stared into his bowl of cold soup as a pregnant pause fell ove them.

"So...how's Vanessa?"

Tori couldn't see it because of his sunglasses but there was a flash of panic in his eyes, "Vanessa, she's uh...she's..." But he just couldn't bring himself to lie to her.

"Andre, tell me what's going on," Tori pressed, concerned.

He looked briefly down at his daughter who was flashing her few teeth at the stranger in front of her.

He sighed, "she walked out on us."

* * *

Miami FL

~Jade~

Jade watched him from the park bench as he swung to and fro on the swing, his dark tresses blowing every which way in momentum. Before Jasper was born she would often roll her eyes at obnoxious moms droning on about how beautiful childbirth was and how much you'd love your baby the instant he or she entered the world. But they'd been totally right, from the moment he had taken his first breath, Jade knew she would kill for him.

"Mommy, watch me!" Jasper called from the swing as he walked with the swing in a circle, intertwining the two chains that held the seat to the frame.

"I'm watching," Jade said, her lips tugging upward.

Jasper let go and settled back on the seat, he went whirling around shrieking with amusement.

He was going to be much better off now that she'd managed to sell her script. Now they could finally move out of the small two-bedroom apartment and buy a house with a yard where he could swing all day long if he wanted. But she wouldn't ever have achieved it without her father, as surprising as it seemed.

For years their relationship as father and daughter had been flickering on and off again like a strobe light. He hadn't been happy about the way she lived her life and Jade hadn't been happy with the way he'd lived his and their matching West tempers didn't help things. Martin believed that writing wasn't going to take her anywhere and wanted her to pursue something more practical, and so they lost touch for a while.

But everything changed when her mom had a seizure right in front of her, the result of a pain-killer overdose. Jade was just grateful that her brother had been in Miami with her dad at the time and didn't have to witness it.

It was at this point in her life that everything kicked off and Jade had been left completely alone, her mood was sent spiraling out of control and she would often find herself snapping at people. When she was chosen to perform at the 2012 PMAs, it was the only happiness she'd experienced in a long time. And then it was ripped away from her again after she realized that her temper had taken its toll on her relationship with her boyfriend so much so that he wanted to date Jade's friend.

"I can't do that to a friend." Had been Tori's words. And guilt had hit her like a ton of bricks, whether or not that had anything to do with the hormones rushing through her when she later discovered that she was pregnant, Jade wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was stealing somebody else's happiness because she didn't have any of her own.

The morning after that disastrous after-party during which she'd been so angry with Beck she'd cried herself to sleep, a letter arrived through the door of the empty house. In it, Jade had found a plane ticket for a flight to Miami that very day alongside a heartfelt letter. Martin explained how he'd been reading the reviews for the plays she'd been putting on in the black-box theater every now and then for the public, he'd told her how sorry he was about her mom's relapse, that the only reason he hadn't agreed with her aspirations was because he only wanted the best for her and that Jared (her brother) missed her a lot. Apparently, Martin had been trying to write the letter for a while but was anxious in case she resented him.

Martin explained how he'd been reading the reviews for the plays she'd been putting on for the public in the black-box theater every now and then. He'd told her how sorry he was about her mom's relapse, that the only reason he hadn't agreed with her aspirations was because he only wanted the best for her and that Jared (her brother) missed her a lot. Apparently, Martin had been trying to write the letter for a while but was anxious in case she resented him.

So she'd used the plane ticket and ended up on her dad's doorstep half a day later, an absolute mess, hoping he wouldn't throw her out when she told him about the pregnancy.

He didn't, and when she had asked him why he'd said, "you've lost your mom, but you sure as hell won't loose your brother I too."

Sometimes Jade wondered what would have happened if she'd told Beck that she was having his baby. Things might have turned out very different, but probably for the worst. It was better this way, even though she did really miss him at times, Beck had hurt her a lot and Jade had just wanted an escape. She had been desperate for someone to confide in.

Jasper was the _image_ of him and certain facial expressions he made would just scream Beck's name. The only thing he hadn't inherited from Beck were his eyes, they were the same blue-green color as Jade's.

Fading from her thoughts, Jade noticed that Jasper was beginning to get tired. He made his way to her and sat on her lap, resting the back of his head on her chest, his breathing labored after going down the slide a dozen times.

"I think you're just about ready for a nap." She said against the crown of his head.

She carried him back home, and he dozed off on her shoulder during the short walk back to the apartment. Once inside, Jade placed him down on his race-car shaped bed and removed his boots. She then poured herself some iced black coffee and collapsed on the couch with her laptop, intending to check her emails.

There was one at the very top that caught her eye.

Jade swallowed her mouthful of coffee before clicking on the all-too-familiar pen name.

...

Inbox (1): rock_robster17

3 hours ago

 _Jade,_

 _I hope you don't mind, after a lot of digging I finally found your email address and I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am that I did._

 _I'm not sure if you've heard but Cat's brother passed away recently and she's heartbroken. I've never seen her like this before, she won't eat, she stays up all night and sleeps all day and now she's lost her place in the musical. I'm trying to get everybody from the old gang back in California to try and cheer her up but I'm not having much luck. When we lost touch everyone bought new phones so it's hard to track you guys, I'm trying my best though and I'm determined to make this reunion a reality._

 _Please come back to Cali for Chris's funeral, I know it'd mean the world to Cat. And if you have any ties to the others, please contact them too as it would really help me out._

 _Your friend,_

Robster _._

 _..._

"Nobody ever called you 'Robster'." Jade said absently, her mind running away with thoughts of the bubbly red-headed girl she'd been close to in High School and the love and patience she'd always had for her brother Christopher.

* * *

 **Sorry again about the wait for this chapter, but hey! At least it wasn't a six-month-wait like the last chapter xD**

 **Also, I have to put it out there that I am British and though I try to write my American stories in American lingo and British ones in British lingo, sometimes my little English brain can get confused and will end up writing a British word by accident. I apologize in advance for that.**

 **Also, let me know what you guys think of my new cover art? It took me forever to make it but I think it looks quite nice.**

 **Thank you all for your kind reviews :) I will try to respond to you as much as possible (readers with accounts only) so try to log in before reviewing lovelies.**

 **Ywenn01— Thank you for reading! And I look forward to _writing_ the reunion for you :)**

 **sayyouwontletgo— Thank you for your review! And yeah, it'd be a crime not to give him Beck's beautiful hair genes. I hope you were satisfied with Mrs. West's backstory.**

 **Rose-Aki—Thank you very much! I can't wait to re-unite bade. They're going to have a lot of demons to deal with :)**


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Song: In My Veins — Andrew Belle

Belfast Ireland

~Beck~

...

"I've gotta admit lad, I'll miss ye'." Said the balding pub manager as he pushed a pint of beer toward Beck.

Beck was at the Dog and Gun pub, an establishment he'd been visiting regularly since the beginning of the fifth season of Dark Swords. This would be his last time visiting for a quite a while, for the next morning, he would be flying back to California.

"Aw, come on now Sean. Don't start getting all sentimental on me," Beck teased, with a smirk.

Patrick scoffed, "I'm not. You're just good for business, we don't get many celebrities in 'ere."

"Well, hopefully, I'll be back next year for season five." He told him.

"Aye, that'd be grand," Sean grinned, his one gold tooth glinting in the dim pub lights.

Beck could hear giggling behind him, and when he started to turn himself around on the spinning stool, the giggling increased. There were three girls staring admirably at him, two blondes and a brunette. They began bickering with each other in hushed voices, and then they stopped suddenly when one of the girls pushed the brunette forward.

She smiled coyly at Beck before turning her gaze to the floor, "uh...aren't you Beck Oliver?"

"Yeah I am, it's nice to meet you, uh...?"

"Nora...it's Nora."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you, Nora," Beck replied.

"I was wondering if...well, that's only if you wanted to of course..." She stammered, and Beck could hear Sean chortling lowly behind him. "What I'm trying to say is, would you like to go out with me sometime? See, me dad owns a restaurant in Bangor..."

Ever since Beck had revealed that he was not in a relationship during an interview at the Season Four premiere last year, occurrences like this had become quite common. It had been a big mistake, and in hindsight, he wished he'd just kept his mouth shut.

This time he was glad to have a valid excuse to decline for once.

"Sorry Nora, I would love to and everything, but I'm actually flying back home tomorrow morning," he explained, trying to put as much regret into his voice as possible.

"Oh," She said, disappointment etched across her features. "Well, okay...I'm sorry for interrupting you."

Guilt swelled in his chest. This girl actually seemed pretty down to earth, how was she supposed to know that he was still pining after a girl who had been even more down to earth?

Clenching his teeth to hide the cringe that threatened to take over his face, Beck offered the girl a selfie, which seemed to brighten her spirits just a little, he also, just for good measure asked her for her twitter username so that he could follow her.

Once she and her friends returned to their table, Beck turned back to the bar and was met with a displeased looking Sean who was shaking his head at him, abashed. "Why didn't you just slap the poor girl in the face?"

"What? It's true, I can't go on a date with her when I'm not even going to be in the country tomorrow. Oh for-! I took a selfie with her and followed her on twitter, what more could she want?" He argued, defensively.

Sean rolled his eyes, "Americans."

"I've been coming here every Saturday for a year, and each time I do, I have to remind you that I'm _Canadian_."

"Bleh, you're all the same to me," Sean said, pulling a pint for the burly man who had just then taken a seat beside Beck and ordered a large Guinness. "S'not like you could handle an Irish bird anyway."

* * *

Manhattan NY

~Cat~ ~Robbie~

...

Cat watched the entire dress rehearsal from the back of the empty theatre, makeup-less in her pink pullover, the hood was pulled up to hide her messy ponytail.

She had to admit, the replacement they'd found to fill in her role as 'Truly Scrumptious' was an amazing actress. Cat was having a hard time finding anything to criticize her over, which she didn't have any right to do anyway since it was her fault she had lost the role in the beginning.

But she couldn't just _not_ come back to wish good luck to the cast that she'd been working with over months, not after all the flowers and gifts they'd all been sending her. At the end of the last scene, Cat came forward and walked toward the stage mid-clap. Everyone froze under the bright stage lights and the British twins who were playing the roles of Jeremy and Jemima came rushing down the steps, beaming.

"Cat!" They exclaimed in unison, hugging her tightly.

"Hi, Alfie...hi Emily." Cat smiled.

"We missed you!" Emily said.

"Yeah, we're sorry about what happened to your brother." Alfie added.

The rest of the cast seemed unsure of what to do, and their pitiful looks made Cat's skin crawl. At least the kids weren't afraid to speak to her.

"Thanks guys, I got your cards. They were beautiful."

"Alfie, Emily, come back up here please." said the director, and the twins did as they were told.

Cat looked at him apologetically, "Sorry Mr Deveroux, I know non-cast members aren't allowed in here. I'll get out your hair now, I just couldn't leave New York without wishing you guys good luck," Cat explained, "So...Good luck."

The director gave an empathetic nod, suddenly becoming unsure of where to look.

There was a sob from onstage, and seconds later, Cat's friend Jessica, the girl who had driven her home the night she had received the horrible news. And since Jess was crying, it wasn't long before Cat was bawling too.

"Please take care of yourself, okay?" Jess told her, and Cat had an incline that she was referring to her rough appearance.

She smiled weakly and nodded as she broke the hug and turned away to make her exit.

Cat later spent the whole subway journey home staring into space, not even blinking when a drunken hobo decided to take the seat next to her, and she did not flinch when he spilt his guts all over the floor. Once she reached her stop, Cat stepped over the puddle, looking forward to going to bed and sleeping off the grief.

Robbie was in the living area when she got in, packing up their suitcases.

"How was everyone?" He asked as he folded up a pair of Superman boxers.

"Pitiful." She replied, disappearing into the bedroom.

Robbie sighed and followed her, hesitating slightly before knocking on the door.

"Yes?" She called.

"I was wondering if you were going to help me pack?"

"No thanks, I'm too tired, you do it."

Robbie frowned, "but how am supposed to know which of your clothes to pack?"

There was a silence, and Robbie wondered if she'd fallen asleep, and then the door opened. Cat walked over to where her suitcase lay open, and dragged it into the bedroom with her before shutting herself in once again.

From inside, Robbie could hear the sliding of drawers being opened mixed in with the sound of her sniffles.

The feeling of his phone vibrating against his thigh brought Robbie from his reverie. He quickly retrieved it, eyes widening with success when he saw the email alert on the screen.

The message was only short but it gave him hope.

Inbox (1): JadeAWest

2 secs ago

 _I'll be there. Don't forget to send me the details._

 _—Jade_

So Robbie did, and his fingers moved across the screen so fast, as if she would suddenly change her mind at any moment...

* * *

Los Angeles CA

~Tori~ ~Andre~

...

"Are you sure about this, Tori?"

"Of course I'm sure. I can't let you and Charlie stay in a hostel when I have a perfectly spacious home."

She was definitely right about that, the place was huge. As he leant against Tori's purple Toyota, Andre moved his sunglasses to the top of his head and ogled the modern mansion standing before him. "She's a beauty."

"Yeah, she is." Tori sighed.

Andre frowned at her, immediately picking up on her lack of enthusiasm, "What's the matter?" He asked. A smile graced her lips and she shook her head, "Nothing, come on." She beckoned.

Andre eyed her suspiciously as she led the way. He reached into the backseat and lifted Charlie out of the stroller which had been folded down into a car seat. The toddler yawned and placed her head down on her dad's shoulder as he caught up with Tori.

The Latina unlocked the door and they stepped over the threshold into an immaculate foyer. On the left was a white marble staircase decorated with a black sculpture-like hand rail and the floor was a glistening white throughout. On the right, the wall made way for an archway where a modern kitchen area was located.

As they ventured further into the room, Andre with his jaw hanging slightly open, they came into a spacious living area with black leather couches and a sizeable flat screen TV that looked thin enough to be a poster. There were also sliding patio doors that led out to a large outdoor swimming pool.

"Can I get you a snack or...anything to drink?" Tori asked, her voice echoing slightly from the kitchen area. She filled a glass with ice from the dispenser on the fridge followed by tap water.

"Nah it's cool." Andre said, frozen to the spot as he took in the beautiful house in all its glory. It was no doubt a very far cry from his old apartment.

"You can take the master bedroom if you want." She told him as she made her way to one of the couches and sat down, sighing contently as she swallowed a mouthful of water.

"Is that not your room?" He questioned.

"Down." Charlie babbled, wriggling uncomfortably in Andre's arms. He set her down on her feet, making sure to keep an eye on her.

"Nah I've got the back room," She explained, taking another sip. Andre found himself staring, watching the way she licked her lips after each sip. "The couch won't melt if you have a seat."

Andre jumped, "Right...yeah," he mumbled, placing himself down on the couch opposite. He felt his cheeks go hot and kept his gaze on his daughter who was toddling around curiously. "Don't break anything, Charlie."

"Uckie, peas!" Charlie hollered, turning around and rushing back to Andre with pleading eyes. He reached into the diaper bag and handed her the toy duck which seemed to have an instant effect on her and she was instantly engrossed with it.

"So, about Vanessa...She just took off? Without saying anything?" Tori questioned.

"Pretty much," he affirmed. "I mean, I knew she was kinda having a hard time getting to grips with motherhood and she and I made a really bad couple. I guess I shouldn't have expected any less of her," He clasped his hands together. "She was so controlling and bossy and she lacked the patience that comes with being a good parent, so in a way, I'm sorta glad she's gone. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Quack, quack." Said Charlie softly, making her duck 'swim' across the floor.

Tori smiled at the little girl and then looked back at Andre again. "No, of course not."

"Then why do I feel like the worst guy on the planet? I shouldn't be glad that the mother of my daughter walked out on us. Charlie doesn't understand that she's never coming back so she cries. She cries her little heart out all night because she misses her mom. I sincerely thought that she loved Charlie but I was so wrong, she obviously doesn't give a damn. She didn't even leave her any money. instead, she just took every penny out of our shared account, and now...we have nothing Tori." His voice had cracked painfully and Tori swiftly set her drink down on the coffee table and rose quickly from her seat and placed herself beside Andre, covering his hand with her own.

"You have me."

He met her soft brown eyes and sighed. "You're amazing for helping us out, especially after I cut you out of my life."

"I had a feeling you were persuaded," Tori said. "Vanessa didn't like me."

Andre nodded, "When you came to visit Charlie that day, we weren't even together. She made me lie because she was convinced that I was going to start dating you," he explained. "We were never together as a couple...we were just co-parenting Charlie together."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Tori asked, hurt.

"Look, I never wanted to stop hanging out with you. But you only caught a glimpse of what Vanessa was like. She was struggling to bond with Charlie and when she saw how natural you were with her, it made her jealous," he explained. "Then, after you left, she blew up at me. She even threatened to take her away. I had no choice but to agree to her terms, I just couldn't allow that to happen, I'm sorry Tori."

"It's fine," Tori assured him, eyes filled with tears. "At least I've got you back now, that's all that matters."

After Tori had helped the exhausted Andre take his bags to the master bedroom and let him get settled in, she informed him that she'd promised her mom she would stay for dinner.

"There's food in the fridge, help yourselves. I'll be back in a few hours." She told them.

"Thanks Tor," Andre smiled, scooping up his daughter who rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Say bye to Tori."

"Bye-bye." Said the little girl, half-heartedly.

Tori chuckled, "bye bye, sweetie."

Once she arrived back at her parents, Trina was the one who answered the door.

"Baby sis, hi! You're just in time!" Trina greeted, a little too enthusiastically. She closed the door behind her and pushed her by the shoulders toward the kitchen area where their disapproving looking parents were. "How about we ask Tori what _she_ thinks?"

Tori eyed them all in bewilderment.

"Your sister has lost her mind," Mr Vega told her.

"What—?"

But she got her answer when Trina dangled her hand in front of her face, where an expensive looking ring sat glinting on her finger.

Tori looked back at her parents in surprise, "oh boy."

* * *

This one was a bit of a shortie and I don't feel like it's my best work, my apologies if it seemed a bit shitty, writer's block can be a bitch.

sayyouwontletgo — You're welcome. And yes, Jade's mom's overdose happened after Beck and Jade's break-up. I'm glad you're enjoying :)

Cheera12—Thank you, I'm glad you like it :)

Lyanaaa: That's very sweet of you, thanks for reading! :)

Don't forget to keep leaving me your lovely reviews!


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